Scarface, the Houston rap icon who rose to prominence as a member of the Geto Boys, has lengthy been thought to be one of many defining voices of Southern hip-hop. Best identified for “Smile,” his haunting collaboration with Tupac Shakur, he has left an indelible mark on the style. But in recent times, the veteran rapper has made clear that his relationship with the business is extra strained than celebratory.

In a candid sit-down with Shannon Sharpe on the Club Shay Shay Podcast, Scarface spoke with little restraint. He admitted he feels “very bitter” in regards to the state of the enterprise, singling out the murky politics of sampling as certainly one of his deepest frustrations. When requested if he nonetheless approves requests to make use of his work, he provided a blunt reply: “I don’t care about anything that has anything to do with the music game anymore. Very bitter about it.”

Sharpe, stunned by his candor, pressed for extra. Scarface pointed to longstanding disparities in how artists are handled, particularly in relation to contracts. “I would like to compare a Beastie Boys contract to a Geto Boys contract,” he stated. “I’d like to see a Maze’s contract as opposed to a Van Halen contract. There’s a significant disparity in those pay scales.”

Scarface displays on inequity and legacy

His remarks come as debates over fairness and possession proceed to roil the music world. Recent flashpoints—together with Drake’s high-profile dispute with Universal music Group over promotional materials tied to Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”—spotlight the identical systemic frustrations Scarface described. His phrases, in some ways, give voice to the discontent effervescent simply beneath the floor of the business.

Scarface additionally mirrored on extra private chapters of his life, recalling the help he obtained throughout his battle with COVID-19 and kidney failure. Jay-Z and DJ Khaled, he stated, stepped up at a time when he wanted them most. “They threw me a lifeline,” he recalled, a easy acknowledgment that underscored the significance of friendship and generosity in moments of disaster.

Over the course of his profession, Scarface has not solely constructed an expansive catalog but in addition formed the careers of those that got here after him. In the early 2000s, he signed Ludacris to his first main file deal by way of Def Jam South. His collaborations with giants corresponding to Tupac, Jay-Z, and Ice Cube helped cement his repute, whereas many within the rap group proceed to hail him because the “King of the South.”

Now in a reflective part, Scarface’s phrases carry the load of each expertise and disillusionment. They function a reminder of the structural inequities which have lengthy plagued the music enterprise but in addition as proof of his enduring affect. His voice, weary however resolute, stays central to the dialog about artistry, equity, and legacy in hip-hop.